1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to electrical distribution systems and, in particular, to managing information for electrical distribution systems. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for exchanging information about an electrical distribution system between a mobile device and the electrical distribution system.
2. Background
Typically, electricity is generated by power generators at power plants. These power plants may take different forms. For example, the power plants may be fossil fueled power plants, nuclear power plants, geothermal power plants, solar power plants, wind based power plants, and/or other suitable types of power plants.
These power plants form an electrical generation system that is part of an electrical power system. The electrical power system is used to send electricity generated by the electrical generation system to consumers. An electrical power system includes other types of electrical systems in addition to the electrical generation system. For example, the electricity generated by the power plants is sent to an electrical distribution system over a transmission system. These two systems are examples of electrical systems in the electrical power system.
The electricity is received at electrical substations in the electrical distribution system from the transmission system. A consumer may be, for example, a residential consumer, an industrial consumer, a commercial consumer, a transportation consumer, or some other suitable type of consumer.
The delivery of electricity generated at a power plant to consumers may occur using any number of power generators, transformers, cables, switches, control units, circuits, transmission lines, sockets, and/or other suitable devices and/or structures in the electrical power system. Maintenance may need to be performed for one or more of these different devices and/or structures over time. For example, maintenance may need to be performed in a particular area in response to one or more outages of electric power occurring in the particular area. Oftentimes, operators may be unable to access information needed for performing the maintenance at the area as quickly as desired.
As a result, maintenance may not occur as fast as desired. This situation may result in some consumers being without power for longer periods of time than desired. Also, a loss of electrical power or inefficient transmission of electricity may occur when maintenance does not occur as fast as desired. These situations may reduce revenues to the companies and other organizations that operate different electrical systems in the electrical power system.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.